Winding and counterbalancing mechanism for curtains



March 2 1926. 1,575,572

R. H. GREEGOR WINDING AND COUNTERBALANCING MECHANISM FOR CURTAINS FiledJune 27, I924 g WW 42 E a g 8 m 45 filly/Em m' E "L' 44 g a g Is 43 5 42M g Q I I V' A V 4 .15.; a

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WM 22 RALPH H. GREEGOR LAAAAAMF L Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

units l)? RALIZHGREEGOR, F COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE KINNEARMANUFACTUR- ING- COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIOIWINDING AND COUNTERBA'LANCING MECHANISM FOR CURTAINS.

Application fi1ed Ji1'ne27, 1924f SeriahN-o. 722,883.-

To all whom it mag camera:

1 Be it. known that I, .RALrrIiH. GREEGOR, a

citizeinof the United States, residing at.

Coluinbus,hin the county of Franklin and State of'Ohio, have invented a:certainnew and useful Improvement 111- Finding/and Counterbalancing;Mechanisms 1 for Curtains, ofwhich the followingzis' avspecificatlon-The object of the invention is'to provide an improved hoisting andcounterbalancing means for a door or curtain,especially where.

the opening to be closed is of unusual height such: as is the case, forexample, in marine towers for gram elevators. Owing to the Fig. 1 ismainly a-vertical': sectional view:

011 the line II, Fig. 2, showing a curtain winding drum equipped with acounterbalancing means according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line II-II Fig. 1, looking to the leftand illustrating details of the counterbalancing means.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing a modification.

In the views 5 designates a stationary housing in drum form, thesupporting frames 7 and 7 thereof forming the inclosing heads or sidewalls. Journaled in said heads is a series of shafts 8 arranged in acircle each of which is equipped with a wheel 12 keyed thereto andhaving on its rim several eyes'l3 any of which can be brought tocoincide with an eye on a projection 14 on the head of the drum afterwhich a pin 15 can be inserted through the two eyes to hold the shaftfrom rotation. Each shaft 8 has pinned to it at that end containingwheel 12, a collar 10 while loose on the other end is a spur gear 16having a hub 8". Secured to each of the collars 10 and hubs 8 at theopposite ends of a coil spring 9 so that when the spur gears 16 areturned in one direction the springs are placed under tension, suchtension being rehorizontal. form and dimensions of such a. tower andopening. it is important to compact the holsting and counterbalancingeleleased when said. spur the opposite direction;

Journaled in. suitable bearings iIr'and be tween the. supporting: framemember. or-v bracket 7 and an additional frameunember. orbr-acket?i'sashaft 6 onwwhichlare keyed the heads of: a. curtain:receivingivdrumafi Thecurtainreferred to :is indicated at 22:11}; Fig.2.The shaft 6 has: its-axis coinciding. with the centerabout whichtheshafts 8zand springs: are arranged and said shaft .proj ects at oneend into the housing55where it has afiiXed to'it a spur gearrl'Tarranged to en gage and drive all the spur. gears" 16. The other endofthe shaft?6fbey0nd the-frame member 7 has keyed-to it'a largespuragear-18 engaged by,asmaller-spur. gear. IQkeyed on a shaft 20 journaled inthe frame mem her 7*. In theinodification shownin Fig. 3 the gears areturned in parts are all substantially, as shown'an'dadescribed exceptthat the spur gears 16 are 1o= cated outside the housing andSaIdgeaBS-arer driven by a spur gear. 17 on a: shaft containingaspurgear17 of different-diameter,"

this last named gear being engaged by a spur gear 17 on the end of thedrum shaft 6. As the diameters of the gears 17" and 17 can beindefinitely varied the ratio of tension increment of the springs 9 uponthe unrolling of the curtain can be made to be what is desired. Theincreasing counten balancing effect obtained by the springs can be at arate substantially equal to or more or less than the weight of theunrolling portion of the curtain.

The operation, which can be readily understood from the foregoingdescription, is t iis: When the curtain is completely wound up thesprings are so set that they exert zero or nearly Zero pull but when thecurtain is The supporting frames 7 and 7 present flanges for insuringthe proper rolling of the curtain on the drum, said frames having guidesat 23* for the edges of the curtain.

The forms and arrangements of the parts can be changed without departingfrom the gist of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A counterbalancing mechanism for a rolling curtain, including awinding shaft therefor provided with a spur gear fixed thereto, saidcounterbalancing mechanism including a frame, a spur gear mounted in theframe on an axis parallel to the axis of the curtain winding shaft andin position to be driven by the spur gear of the curtain winding shaftwhen the curtain is wound and unwound, a coil spring connected at oneend with said second named spur gear to be wound and unwound when' thecurtain is unwound and wound respectively, said coil spring having itsother end fixed to the frame.

2. A counterbalancing mechanism for a rolling curtain, including awinding shaft therefor provided with a spur gear fixed thereto, saidcounterbalancing mechanism including a frame, a spur gear mounted in theframe on an axis parallel to the axis of the curtain winding shaft andin position to be driven by the spur gear of the curtain winding shaftwhen the curtain is wound .and unwound, a coil spring connected at oneend with said second named spur gear to be wound and unwound when thecurtain is unwound and wound respectively, said coil spring having itsother end adjustably fixed to the frame to regulate the tension thereof.

3. A oounterbalancing mechanism rolling curtain including a windingshaft therefor provided with a spur gear fixed thereto, saidcounter-balancing mechanism including a frame, a plurality of spur gearsmounted in the frame on axes parallel to the axis of the curtain windingshaft and in position to be driven by the spur gear of the curtainwinding shaft when the curtain is wound and unwound, a coil spring connected at one end with each of said second mentioned spur gears to bewound and unwound when the curtain is unwound and wound respectively,said coil springs having their other ends fixed to the frame.

4. A counterbalancing mechanism for a rolling curtain including awinding shaft therefor provided with a spur gear fixed thereto, saidcounterbalanoing mechanism including a frame, a plurality of spur gearsmounted in the frame on axes parallel to the axis of the curtain windingshaft and in position to be driven by the spur gear of the curtainwinding shaft when the curtain is wound and unwound, a coil springconnected at one end with each of said second mentioned spur gears to bewound and unwound when the curtain is unwound and wound respectively,said coil springs having their other ends fixed to the frame and meansfor adjusting the tension of each of said springs independently of theothers.

RALPH H. GREEGOR.

for a

